"The brave men and women of the NYPD have
done a remarkable job bringing crime down to record lows-often in the face of
grave danger. Not being able to tell if a gun being drawn on them is real
or fake can mean the difference between life and death for a police officer, and
that's a risk that no one should ever have to take. Current law requires
that fake guns be brightly colored in either green, pink, or red. By
increasing the minimum penalty for those who sell fake guns that look real and
enhancing penalties for recidivists, we can help make sure that such a tragedy
does not happen in New York City. Once this bill takes effect, the
Department of Consumer Affairs will also have the authority to padlock for five
consecutive days any business that violates the law at least three times in two
years.

"I would like to thank Consumer Affairs
Commissioner Jonathan Mintz, Criminal Justice Coordinator John Feinblatt, Police
Commissioner Ray Kelly, Corporation Counsel Michael Cardozo, and their staff for
their work on this bill. I would also like to thank the Council for
approving this legislation."